NBA Lock Out. What Do You Mean Locked Out? We Never Had The Keys.

What’s up sports fans? I’m sure you’re probably as frustrated as I am about commercial sports franchises not continuing with their regular operations as the 2011-2012 season presses on. We’ve already had to deal with the possibility of the NFL not having a full season because Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith have been assisting the negotiations of the contract talks between the NFL Players Union and NFL Owners. This whole lockout thing in my opinion has been blown way out of proportion. I mean I can understand the NFL players obviously are fighting to keep something that the NFL owners don’t want to give.

What also is significant is that because we’re the fans and don’t know all the information it’s easy for us to yell fowl and say, “Cut it out! We want to see some contact sports, now get out there and play ball!” We’re saying this because we appreciate being able to watch games, and now we can’t watch thanks to the lockout. As a matter of fact the lockout storm as I’m calling it has gotten so out of control that they even have developed a website called NFL Lockout.com. Come on guys developing a website for a labor dispute in football? And you should see some of the heavy arduous work the developers of that website are producing, just read below:

Smith: “Someone asked me whether I was optimistic. I think we’re both optimistic when we have the right people in the room. We know we’re talking about the right issues and that we’re working hard to get it done. It is extremely complicated, it requires a lot of hard work by a lot of people, but we’re committed to getting something done and we’re going to keep working at it. Just to wrap up: we’re working hard, we understand the fans’ frustration, I know our players’ frustration. We’re going to keep working hard and try to make sure we get a deal done.”

Goodell: “You obviously know we met over the last couple of days. We are under court order as far as what we can discuss so our comments will be brief. But obviously we’re all working hard. The players and owners were here over the last two days. De and I were here for the entire meetings also. And it’s complicated and it’s complex, but we’re working hard and we understand the fans’ frustration. But I think both of us feel strongly that we’re going to continue to work hard at it.”

Wow, you’d think we the public were waiting the out come of something serious. I mean there are labor disputes for the teachers union, nurses threatening to work off the job, and then there’s the stink that nobody wants to hear or experience, that’s when waste management tells you “Were not picking up your garbage next week were on strike.” These are services we have to have or the quality of life suffers greatly. Since the players have time off some of them have involved themselves in other pursuits. For instance Steve Breaston a five year player in the NFL put together a video to tell the fans how he felt about the lockout. It’s called, “A League Deferred.” you can check it out below. The NFL isn’t something we have to have in order to keep our quality of life, but it is something that enhances our lives, gives us good entertainment and we the buying public appreciate it. That’s why we pay the high ticket prices, wear our favorite teams logo, and collect memorabilia.

The NFL Lockout is here for one reason, the two sides can’t agree on one thing, the money. Let’s face it for the last four years it has been the topic of discussion in this country, the economy. Some say the NFL could be starting a lockout tsunami that all franchises might follow. Something that most sports enthusiasts don’t want to experience. But recently the NBA’s Lockout is proving that the lockout tsunami’s wave is gaining momentum. To be locked out of something you have to have the keys. We the fans never had em. That’s why leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR and so on can lock you and me out.

It’s funny though David Stern the commissioner, deputy commissioner Adam Silver, San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt, and New York Knicks owner James Dolan of the NBA owners is contending with NBA Players Association head Billy Hunter, NBA players rep. Derek Fisher, and two other reps of the NBA on Thursday to discuss an agreement to a contract. Really you should ask David Stern, why are you arguing over a few nickels? I say a few nickels but Both sides know already that it is considerably more. Really it is funny because both sides know that the NBA shouldn’t be in a lockout. The league is doing well with revenues. It will continue to do well because of a strong fan base.

David Stern knows it too. He’s, and I hate to say it as much as I admire Mr. Stern, but he’s being greedy. C’mon Dave, the league wants the ability to cause the players to take a pay cut, the same way the NHL did to its players back in the 2004-2005 season. Owners want more profits. While that’s going on we the fans don’t have the keys to these leagues. We pay but the unions and owners decide how much. That’s why I sit in the nosebleed section at Warriors games, but I can’t decide who wins in a players/ owner dispute. Fans need to remember while all this back and forth over lockouts, contracts, and the season is going on, they should send a more than loud message to people like Roger Goodell, David Stern, NFL and NBA Players Unions.

It’s the fans that allow these individuals to even get the opportunity to argue over these revenues. Organizations listen to your message when it is done in numbers. This is why we the fan base don’t have the keys to the league. If we made our voice heard by e-mail submission or some other civil means, and i want to re-emphasize civil, to these leagues and organizations of a boycott of some kind, then and only then the next time these organizations think about a lockout they’ll remember who really has the keys to hold a lockout. They’ll remember the key holder is you and me, where the respect of commercial sports really belongs the fans. What do you think? Remember folks it’s ALLBAYAREASPORTS.COM. Bay Area Sports Magnified!